


By your side

by Daydreamsandmusings



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Am I doing this right?, Come At Me, F/M, First Fanfiction, First Post, Gendrya - Freeform, Guess what?!, I Ship It, Sansa ships it, THE worthiest pairing, You ship it, always the reader-never the writer?, hit me with your best kudos/comments, the universe? Ships it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-03-11
Packaged: 2019-11-15 18:03:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18078356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daydreamsandmusings/pseuds/Daydreamsandmusings
Summary: Arya tries to understand what is going on...Aren't we all?(This begins with a funny(?), gratuitous, and silly moment. You've been warned)





	By your side

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I’m sorry if there are any mistakes, I tried my best to fix those that I’ve found, but fear that I might have left some uncorrected. English is not my first language and I didn’t have a beta reader to confirm whether this was an absolute waste of time for you, or not. (Absolutely not for me though, I’ve had fun writing this!)
> 
> This is my first fic, so don’t destroy my self-esteem (which is very low). Constructive criticism is ALWAYS welcomed. And if you like it, let me know, I might give writing fics another go!
> 
> If I’m allowed to thank anyone, I’d like to say that this was possible thanks to all the amazing fic writers that make my days better and nights longer by uploading beautiful stories.I thank them for writing and thank you for reading.

 

 

 //

 

She saw how red Sansa’s face was. Her cheeks matched her hair and one unexperienced eye could blame it on the weather, but not Arya.  
Her sister looked amused, there was a slight glint in her eye when she looked at her little sister.  
  
“What were you doing in the forge?” Arya asked, trying to stop that tightness in her throat. “I can see that you are quite moved by whatever you found in there.”  
  
Sansa’s eyes widened and her lips erased a smirk that was about to appear.  
  
“Nothing, it’s nothing, I just———“  
  
“Yes?”

  
“You are really lucky, Arya. No one could have imagined that you could make such a fantastic, what is it that you call him? Oh, 'friend'. Before you assume anything devious, I was only looking for you and, since the forge seems to be your new favourite place in Winterfell, well…” She was about to continue when Arya interrupted.  
  
“What are you implying?” She knew what Sansa meant, but she wanted to make her feel uncomfortable, _how dare she mingle in her life?_ , after everyth—  
  
“I’m just saying that you have good taste in men, you've found your match, little sister. He knows you well, I think you will be in for a treat. ” Sansa’s face redden even more at her own words. She winked at Arya, and continued to walk into the castle.  
  
Arya was speechless, not because it was part of her tactics, but for actual lack of words. She darted to the forge, all the while thinking thoughts that made her skin crawl and hate herself for feeling jealousy.

She opened the door and found Gendry coming out of the back room, covered only in a cloth. His skin was glistening, suggesting he had taken a bath. He connected his eyes to her face, and the heat in the forge seem to rise as high as that of the dragon’s breath.  
  
“Arya, M'lady, your sister, Lady Sansa, she…”  
  
“Yes, I've met her before and now I can can see why she behaved like that."  
  
She walked towards him while saying this, and without missing a heartbeat (those that were getting faster than her reasoning) she removed the fabric he was holding with his hand.  
Gendry’s hands went to his privates and while panicking he began to curse.

“Oh, fuck, what the-“

Arya’s eyes never left his...hands, and he could swear that he saw a little upward movement in her eyebrows.  
  
She moved her sight to the bench at her right and in a swift motion she turned and walked out of the forge.  
  
——————————  
  
  
Two days later, Arya couldn’t find calm to sleep. She turned and tossed in her bed, not once being able to erase every thought of, well, Gendry.

 

She had found Sansa at her door earlier that day, and her sister had disclosed Arya the reason why she had gone to the forge. It was to ask Gendry to make sure Arya was safe. To avoid her fighting the upcoming battle.

Arya had felt anger start to rise inside herself, but Sansa quickly added:

"He was in the back room, said that he was sorry that he couldn't see me at that moment, for he was not presentable. When I was about to leave, I heard his voice coming from behind the door, saying that he would never ask you that because he knew that it would put you against him....and that you were quite stubborn. Imagine my amusement! By the way, I don't comprehend how you can spend hours in there with that heat! Unless you leave a few layers of clothing outside when you get in? "  
At that, Arya had felt embarrassment and relief. Embarrassment for thinking that her sister might had been doing something else in there, and relief because now she had been the only one to see him naked. That thought had brought a pink tint to her cheeks and she had felt embarrassed once more.   
  
 

While staring at the ceiling, she remembered when she saw him for the first time after so many years. How she felt gratitude towards any god or goddess that might have saved him and brought her friend to her home. She recalled their embrace, the ice that coated her heart melting with the heat of his arms, and the way his eyes filled with tears of joy and bewilderment.  
_“Arya-You…How?”_ He had said, not being able to believe what he was seeing.

 

She thought about how, the night before she saw Sansa coming out of the forge, he had found her in the Godswood and how they had shared a stroll back to the smithy.  
He had seemed eager to show her something, and when they were inside, he presented her with spears, swords and daggers, all forged in dragon glass. Then, they had talked about what was coming and she had shown coldness and a measured demeanor. She knew how to act under extreme circumstances, she would fight with all her will.  
What she had not been ready for was another hug from him. This second one had felt like he was trying to comfort her, and when she had been ready to tell him that he didn’t need to worry, that she was going to do it, he stopped the little anger or exasperation that was building inside her chest, with the touch of his thumb on her cheek.  
_“I know you wouldn't even mind fighting the Night King alone if you have to, but let me assure you, Arya, you will find me there. You won’t fight alone”_  
  
She inhaled deeply and relived the moment when she had looked into his eyes, and all the composure she had had until that moment, had flown through the forge’s door.  
Her lips had twitched, and the corners of her mouth had lifted to create a sincere smile. She had stared at his blue eyes, had stood on her toes, and had leant towards him, only to stop a breath away from his lips. She had felt doubt creep into her chest. That was a tightness that reminded her of the one she felt when she compared herself to other ladies.  
Her feet had gone back to the ground, and had guided her out towards the training yard, leaving a very confused smith inside.

 

Tired of her own mind and memories-and with no more patience-she kicked the furs off of her body, dressed herself in a long tunic, boots and draped a cloak on her shoulders. She walked to the forge hoping to find him there.

The fires were cracking, and she could see him working on something new to her eyes. 

“A job done when tired can never be excellent,” she said to him while she closed the door. “You should try sleeping sometimes.”

  
“If I did, you would have no one to talk to, so I think this is beneficial to you. Besides, the quality of my work never decreases, not even when m'lady interrupts me.”

She heard a betraying chuckle leave her lips at that, and walked towards a table where she sat whilst he continued working. She seemed lost in his movements, in the sparkles from the fire, so much so that she was startled by his voice.  
  
“I thought I would’t see your face after the other day. I promise you that Lady Sansa and I, we didn’t-“

 She lifted her left hand and silenced him.  
  
“I've been thinking. We need to keep the weapons coming, you have made many, but not enough. So I will tell Jon about having some men stay here while we fight and smith more arrow heads, daggers, spears, anything really. You have trained some men, but I think you should be with them. So if he is fine with-“  
  
“Absolutely no.”  
  
“Gendry…”

He stood tall, his eyes never leaving hers.  
  
“No, Arya. I can’t do that. I made it clear that I would fight, not just create weapons. When I met your brother, I said I’d fight knowing that I had nothing to lose. Nothing was more important than fighting, not even my life. But now…now that I found you alive? Now I won’t lose, because there’s no other option. Either we live or…”  
  
“Or they kill you” She whispered, feeling that known sadness trying to find its way back to her heart.  
  
“I would rather be there next you, fight along side you, fall next to you. But not away from you. I’ve spent a long time feeling guilt about leaving you, understanding what that really meant…I’m not going to stay inside a forge and wait for you to come back, we might not be that lucky again. I will go with you and fight.”

Arya snapped at that. “And if they kill me? And if they kill you? And if they turn you into a wight and I have to kill you?”

The corner of his lips twitched. “Well, the way I see it, I can fight with you, win this war, and live. Or they can turn me, and then you can kill me. I give you permission to do so”

_How could he be saying this?_ She respected him, but now she also believed him to be mad. _How could he jest in such a time?_

“You are so stupid! Can’t you see that this is serious?"  
  
“Of course." He agreed. "And I mean it. Either we fight by each other’s side and live to see us standing, or I the last thing I see is you. Either way I’ll be glad, as long as I go first”

She felt the tears in her eyes, her heart beating faster than ever, her breath caught in her throat, her hands cold. He had moved in front of her, he was at arms reach, so she wrapped her hands around his neck, brought him closer and kissed him. He was stunned and frozen, which made Arya move back. She lifted her eyes and studied his face. He looked as if he were under a spell. His features softened, his eyes fixed in her lips and then, within a second, their lips met again.  
  
She moved her hands through his hair, wishing she could melt into him. His hands travelled to her waist and her hands found the ties of his tunic.  
  
“Arry-"  
  
“Shh.." She pressed her fingers to his lips."Let me have this, after all you have to do as I command.”  
  
  
  
//

 


End file.
